Layover in Jefferson Long Park

Last weekend my wife and I took a trip down to the World's Largest Outdoor Gathering along the St. John's River in Jacksonville, FL. On our way down we made a stop in Macon to take a look at Jefferson Long Park which is located in the Historic Pleasant Hill Community. It was a park project that I had worked on early in my career and this was my first time seeing it in person. (Incidentally, our car's radiator went out as soon as we left the park, resulting in us being stranded in town for a few hours rather than on the side of 75...close call, huh?)

Anyways, my role in this project was helping with community and stakeholder input. My project manager at the time, Mickey O'Brien, and I would take trips down to meet with the locals from the area to gather input on what they wanted their park to look and feel like. The project was a part of a GDOT mitigation effort to help preserve the character of Pleasant Hill.

Our job as a designer is to provide professional input, while also serving as a conduit for the ideas and needs of the people who will use the park. A park does not belong to its architect or to its government - it belongs to its community.

Anyone who has ever been involved in public consensus building knows how arduous a process that can be. Park projects can be particularly challenging and this one was no exception. Our job as a designer is to provide professional input, while also serving as a conduit for the ideas and needs of the people who will use the park. A park does not belong to its architect or to its government - it belongs to its community. And yet whatever stress may come with public meetings or construction administration seemingly melts from my memory as I first walk into a space that has finally been constructed. It never gets old being able to see a project brought to life.

For those unfamiliar with the park's namesake, Jefferson Long was the second African-American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and was the first African-American member to hold the House Floor. Long was born into slavery in 1836, but following his emancipation after the Civil War he opened up a tailoring shop in Macon and became a successful businessman and orator. He served in the U.S. Representatives from 1869 - 1871. Upon his death he was buried in Linwood Cemetery in the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood, just a few blocks north of the park. His defy-all-odds story is incredibly fascinating and worth looking into. You can read more about him here.